Show THE WORTH OF COURTESY A few years ago on a radiant spring afternoon two men who from their conversation appeared to be foreigners stopped before tiie the gate of one of our large workshops in boston for the tile manufacture of locomotive engines entering a small smail office the tile elder eider of the tile two tiyo ln men inquired of lit bit hie c superintendent in atten attendance dAce if lie he would permit them to inspect the works you call can pas pass sinan in and d loot look 1001 ac abo about ut if you please said the superintendent ilij apparently at being interrupted in aft the e peres pores per al of his zlia newspaper he then scanned the two stranger strangers na more bre closely they were respectably but plainly dressed dressea and evidently made no pretensions to official dignity of any kind Is there affy any one who can show us over the establishment and explain mattew matter to ilg us asked mr wolfe the elder of the strangers you must pick your own way 9 gentlemen on replied the superintendent we are all too busy to attend to every party that comes along ill iii thank you not to interrupt the asking questions it was not so much the matter as tile tife manner of his ills reply re I 1 that was offensive to mr air wolfe ail ali and ui his hib s companio companion n it was spoken with a certain official assumption of SU superiority p arity mingled with contempt for til the visitors indicating P a haughty and selfish temper 1 I think we will noo trouble you said mr wolfe bowing and taking 0 his companions pail pan ions lons arm they passed out I 1 if there is anything I 1 dislike it is in civill civility tyr id mr j wolfe to ills his companion wr i ere ero 0 in the street 1 I do n not t bl tiler ae uan nan inan for not wishing to see us 0 01 tile tiie establishment lie is no doubt annb annly d dilli interrupted by many heedless vors 1 ors but lie he might have th courtesy 1 he might have sent sent us at auy better content with a gracious with an un ungracious t consent constent ay perhaps we liall ila iia vee etter otter luck here said the tile other strang strung eind cind they stopped before another work L of a similar kind They were a brisk little man the tile head el desk 0 1 api abir jr cantly wilo vilo in in reply to their request R be shown over the establishment answered oil oh yes come with me gentlemen eui euf eni tle tie nien this way bo so saying lie hurried them along the tile area strewn with iron bars broken and rusty wheels of iron roii roil fragments of old cylinder into the principal workshop here without stopping to explain any one thing ho bo led the strangers along with tile the evident intention of getting rid of thein as soon as possible pos bibie bible when n they paused where the tiie workmen were riveting the external castings of a boiler the clerk looked at ilis ills watell watch tapped his foot against an iron tube and showed other s signs wils i of impatience whereupon mr sir remarked we will not detain you anz any longer part pary sir and with his ills friend frit frie nd took leave this tilis man is laan iaan an improve menton tho tiro other othen said mr nil wolfe wolfa but ail all alithe the civility lie ims is on oil th tile surface it does not come from the heart we must look further the strangers walked on for nearly half a mile in silence ewhen alien one of them pointed to a picture of a locomotive en alire with a train of cars underneath it overtopped over topped a small building not more than ten tell feet in height conin communicating iun lun 1 eating cating with witha a yard and workshop look said the observer here is a machinist whose name is not on our list probably it was thought I 1 too small a concern for our purpose said ills his companion nevertheless let us try it said eaid mr wolfe they entered and found at the desk a middle aged man whose iny my aspect and apron round ills his waist showed that he divided ills llis labors between the workshop and the counting room I 1 I 1 we want to look ovar over your works if you have no objections it will give me great pleasure to show you all there is to be seen said the uie mechanic with a pleased alacrity lI ringing nging a bell beij I 1 and telling t alie lio lie boy who entered to take charge of the office ho then led the way j and explained to tho strangers the whole process of constructing ting a locomotive engine he showed them how the we various parts of the machinery were manufactured and patiently answered all their questions ons ont lie he told them of ail an improved mode of if tubing boilers by which the tile power of generating steam was increased and showed with what care lie provided for security from bursting bura buro ting two hours passed away the strangers were verc delighted with tile tiie intelligence displayed by the mechanic and with his frank attentive and unsuspicious manners bere bero 1111 here ere is I 1 sa a man who vilo loves ills his profession so welly well weil that lie he takes pleasure in explaining its mysteries to all who can understand them thought mr wolfe ill 1 I ain am afraid we have given you a good deal of trouble said the other stranger Inde inder 1 gentlemen I 1 have enjoyed your visit said the mechanic aua ana anti aud 5 shall shail all ail be glad to see you again gain ll 11 perhaps you may said mr wolfe and the tile strangers departed I 1 five months afterwards as tile the mechanic whose means were quite limited sat in ills his office meditating how hard it was boget to get business by the side of suei such larg large hlll hill competitors peti tors the two strangers entered ho lie gave t them hem a hearty welcome handed chairs and frat down we come said mr wolfe with a proposition from the emperor of russia from the tile emperor impossible hero here are arc our credentials but gentlemen said the tile now agitated bated mechanic what does this mean how v have I 1 earned such an honor simply by your straightforward courtesy and fran fram frankness kne sq coa cou combined ined with professional intelligence sald said mr wolfe because we were strangers you did not think it necessary to treat i us with distrust di or coolness you saw baw we were ili in earnest in acquainting ourselves with your works and did not ac before extending to us your what letters of wc brought you measured us by tae th spirit we showed and not by dignities we could have exhibited y |